Be weary of titles in baseball now. There used to be clearly defined titles but that just isn’t the case in baseball anymore. I really like both Brown and Harris a lot. Both have had a lot of success in scouting and developing and maintaining the minor league system and player development. When it comes to responsibilities with their respective teams, it is close to even. I haven’t spoken to either of them and don’t know their personalities outside of what I have heard over the last handful of years. Brown is known as opinionated and at times fiery and not afraid to go against the flow. He has also developed his own “rules” on scouting and player development that are used by the Braves. While he doesn’t make the decisions on trades, he does discuss them with other teams and he does have some input. He is a bridge between the modern and traditional baseball mindset. Harris is primarily known for his ability to think outside the box and adaptability. He is confident and not afraid to try new things. He has been a very successful scout and also is largely responsible for the Indians minor league protocols and develops pitching. They are probably the two top non GM candidates in baseball. There is Flores with the Cardinals and someone with the Rays… but we already have had people from those systems lead the franchise. The Dodgers have a couple of guys but they already do things very similar to the Astros, just with a bigger budget.
Sure, people can transform their personality a bit. Maybe he is a calm, nice guy now. But you cannot transform your way to learning how to structure deals, evaluate minor league systems and run a large organization. That takes actual experience. Ausmus’ experience is as a decent catcher, a losing manager and a non decision-making employee in a losing FO. Ausmus is the example of a dangerous type of guy who is smart enough to impress people who don’t hang around with really smart people.
I’m not advocating for him for GM. but it is startling how much people here know Ausmus quite intimately…
Also, fwiw, it wasn’t that long ago that Bagwell was battling demons (substance abuse, personal life hell) that was far worse than a lot of people realize… and now he’s a front office liaison and the major ambassador for the Astros. Again, shouldn’t be a Gm, but I’m also not going to blackball him for how he used to be…
Word. Bagwell is a legend and should be applauded and appreciated. Nothing but love for Baggy forever.
I don't know Brad Ausmus What I do know is that he has no background in amateur talent evaluation, player acquisition, data analysis or organizational management. If Jim Crane actually has him as a real candidate, and I doubt he does, it's a f**king joke. It would be front office nepotism at it's most disgusting. What's Tony Eusebio up to these days.
and if it did come to fruition it would feel an awful lot like a guy that just got ran out of town over on Kirby......he who shall not be named
Sure. I agree. I’m just commenting at the numerous personal attacks on him as a person. and undoubtedly it’s Bagwell pushing hard for his friend.
I don’t see what Baggy has done to earn this damning comparison. He helped seal the deal with our top free agent addition, Jose Abreu. As far as the GM search goes, we don’t know what his role is, all we know is he publicly spoke highly of Ausmus’ aptitude, which is his right to do as his friend. Nobody here wants Ausmus, but people need to lay off Baggy until there is an actual reason to denigrate him. Additonally, this idea is insulting to Crane, who is in no way similar to Cal McNair. Crane makes his own decisions.
I'll echos the general sentiment here that Ausmus would be the WORST decision. Honestly, at that point, I would much prefer Maldy as our GM. Hoping to land one of the top candidates that Nook is on board with.
I have no issue with Bagwell (or any longtime player) being involved in the front office. Anybody with his experience will likely be able to contribute to scouting conversations and assist in dealing with players, whether thru recruiting free agents or getting buy-in from current players on the team. He’s qualified for that. But what I don’t like seeing is him as the primary member of the front office, seeming like he’s the primary decision maker on roster construction or organizational philosophy; he’s not qualified for that role. He’s representative of the type of person who used to fill that role, with poor results.
Agreed here. Really think (or hope) Crane will go after someone with significant front office experience, even if it was as the number 2 guy (like Click or Luhnow). You don't really want someone who hasn't spent a good deal of time in the front office learning on the job. That is a recipe for disaster. And Ausmus is a very smart guy, he could probably learn faster than most. But it would be a mistake. Anyone know if Crane is considering Sig Mejdal? This past Fall there were rumors he would be the front runner.
Is anybody else reporting that Ausmus is a candidate besides Ortiz? Is it possible that Ortiz's source is Bagwell and Crane just gave Bagwell the "yes, I'll consider Ausmus" response that he wanted to hear? As great as Crane has been I can't see him doing something like this.
It was mentioned by another person way earlier. Ortiz questioned Ausmus based on that and it wasn't refuted. I believe Nook also said that the report is valid based on what he's heard. And undoubtedly this is Bagwell's influence. Crane wasn't going to have Ausmus on any list whatsoever without the suggestion. I doubt Crane takes everything Bagwell says as gospel, but there's clearly a relationship there and sometimes that's all it takes to look into something. They just need to hurry up and hire a legit person so Bagwell can stop being the de-facto media sound byte.
Jeff Bagwell will get a lot of rope from people in MMP because even when he was a drunk that cheated on his wives, he was generally pleasant and nice to be around. There are many stories and times that Bagwell was a screw up while on the Astros and when he was a coach. People around him thought he was a decent person though. I have no clue if Bagwell has solved all of his personal issues. As far as I know he is still with Rachel, but IDK. Having said that, I think his recent past is fair game to question when it comes to giving someone a leadership position. As for Ausmus, I can think he is a dick, but that doesn't mean he cannot be good at his job. I just don't think he is qualified to be a GM based on his track record... I am fine with him having involvement with the front office, and he isn't as anti analytical as some seem to think. I do worry about whether he is willing to put in the hours to be GM though.
Yeah, the Astros have spoken to Brad Ausmus at least several times about the job. He was someone that they spoke to early. I have no clue if he is the leader or not, because that isn't something that Crane really discusses from what I have been told - Crane and no one else will make that decision and it isn't something he debates externally. Also, yes, I cannot prove it and it is an assumption - but I believe Bagwell played a part in Ausmus being discussed. However, keep in mind that Crane has talked to a lot of people about the role. He speaks to Biggio, Berkman and Cabell and others outside the organization about the team and job in general terms. He even discusses it with professional golfers he is friends with.... he is someone that seems to talk to a lot of people, gets lots of information and then makes his own decision and so far, isn't heavily influenced by those around him. Let's see what happens.
